Sugar Island roads passable

Working 16-hour days since the historic storm spilled torrential rains on Sugar Island early this week, the Chippewa County Road Commission has restored access for all island residents.

“There are many, many areas where they are restricted to one lane,” said Supt. Rob Laitinen of the work, “and some of those aren’t very good.”

Laitinen was quick to credit the road commission employees who have spent so many hours on the island in recent days.

“I’ve got to give a big compliment to all the workers here,” he said. “I’m very proud of the whole crew, they worked their tails off to get it done.”

Laitinen explained that getting access re-established is a far cry from getting the roads repaired to their former condition and added there is still plenty of work left to do on the island.

“We are working to get it repaired to where it was (before the storm),” said Laitinen noting the island people have funded road building through multiple millages over the years. “I think they deserve better than just patches.”

The timing of the heavy rains was somewhat fortuitous as the Road Commission was in the process of preparing for the upcoming winter season and had a little money in reserve. Laitinen did add, however, that the expenditures and lost time could come back to haunt them when the snow falls for the 2013-14 season.

“It will leave us in a pretty tough spot,” he acknowledged.

Sugar Island and county officials are working to access various emergency funds to help defray the costs of the upcoming repairs, but the final figures have yet to be calculated.

“I’m working on the estimate for that right now,” said Laitinen when asked about the 1 1/2 Mile Road damage. “It makes you want to be sick.”

In a press release, Director Tim McKee of the Chippewa County Office of Emergency Services identified 26 separate roads and culverts that have been severely impacted by the storm.

The damage, according to McKee’s calculations, took place when more than 5 inches of rain fell on the northern portions of the island in a 5-hour deluge late Monday and early Tuesday.

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